Philip

Recipes 

Got stuff for a new batch of beer yesterday, but I forgot to get the muslin bags for the hops and grain. The homebrew shop is a pretty good distance away. Anyone have any luck using other stuff? Could I just go buy some regular gym socks, or pantyhose?

I do an extract brew, with a partial mash, so I need to be able to steep the grains. I don't really have any way of straining it out otherwise. And I'm using hop pellets in the boil, but I'm dry hopping with whole leaf. I've put the hops in the fermenter without a bag before, but then I have trouble siphoning.

Ryan_PA

Recipes 

Get a paint strainer bag from lowes/HD.

dutchboy62

Recipes 

try cheese cloth

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weirdboy

Recipes 

Are you throwing away your old bags? Just rinse them out and reuse them.

A 5 gallon paint strainer bag is by far the best choice IMO. That is what I use 100% of the time. It fits up over the sides of the pot, where I can clip it in place with binder clips (thanks for the idea DeathBrewer) and I can basically stir the grains and/or hops around just like there was nothing there at all. Also they cost very little--certainly less than you can buy cheesecloth at a grocery store.

Philip

Recipes 

paint strainer bag, sounds great. I'm gonna soak in the pool now, and I will rest assured knowing that I can pick that up tomorrow, and brew Tuesday. My brew pot is only 4 gallons, but I'm sure I can make it fit. Thanks!

sjlammer

Recipes 

Just an FYI, my lowes/home depot stores do not have five gallon paint strainer bags.. for that i have to go to a paint store.

I've never detected any nastiness from boiling hops or grain in the bag, but just to be sure, i have recently been boiling the paint bag in a separate sauce pan full fo water prior to using.

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On Deck: Spruce APA, Chambord Fortified Chocolate Porter, Imperial IPA

Primary:
Primary:
Secondary: Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Conical:
Lagering: None
Kegged/Drinking: Cascade, Cent., Amarillo Pale Ale
Kegged/Drinking: Belgian Pale Ale (HG yeast for yeast cropping see above)
Bottled: ESB

JediJoel

Recipes 

Know this is an old thread but got a question about grain bag reuse.

I can reuse them? Even after I use it as a hop bag? The bag is all green, is any of that residual hop juice going to come out when I boil the bag again? What about washing the grain bag? I was thinking of throwing it into the laundry with the whites...

McKBrew

Recipes 

I don't know how well the muslin bags would hold up to re-use, but I re-use the mesh ones all the time. I've washed in the washer too. Prior to use, I always rinse with warm water and soak in sanitizer.

Yooper

Recipes 

Sure, as Mckbrew says, put them in the washer. They come cleanest if you rinse well, and then turn them inside out. You can also use the top rack of the dishwasher.

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niquejim

Recipes 

I use,and reuse ladies knee high stockings over and over, and over, and over again after washing. Just don't put over 1 oz in each bag